Heater



ZSZAOZ W. J. PAYNE y Jun@ 27, 1944.

HEATER Filed Aug. 18, 1941 A/r- Vacuum l/a/Ve Patented June 27, 1944UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEATER William J. Payne, Georgetown, Ky.

Application August 18, 1941, Serial No. 407,346

4 Claims.

This invention relates to heaters and more particularly to automaticcontrols for heaters of the type in which the heat exchange device isclosely associated with the source of heat.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterindicated with means associated With the heat exchange device forcontrolling the supply of fuel to the heat producing device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a. device of the typeindicated, in which the heat exchange device includes a condenser unit;in conjunction with a liquid, vapor or steam with means responsive totemperature variations in said liquid, vapor or steam for controllingthe supply of fuel and thereby the heat input; and further, to associatemeans for providing an improved venting and the elimination of entrainedair or the formation of water pockets or other objectionable features.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement andcombinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described andclaimed.

One sheet of drawings accompanies this specification as part thereof, inwhich like reference characters indicate like parts throughout.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the operative parts of thepresent invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation largely diagrammatic of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is.` a cross section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

The invention is herein illustrated and described in connection with asocalled unit heater in which gas is utilized as a, fuel, associatedwith a condenser through which air is driven or sucked by a fan to heata room or building.

Referring to the drawing, the condenser or heat exchange devicecomprises a top header I, a bottom header 2 which communicate through a.plurality of spaced condenser tubes 3. A fan I, driven in any desirablemanner operates to either draw or force air between the condenser tubes.

The bottom header 2 communicates, as by pipe 5, with a liquid container6 which is preferably provided with a gauge 1 through which liquid levelcan be observed.

Gas burners 8 are positioned below the liqui container 6 and are hereinillustrated as two circular burners of standard construction, eachhaving two ring burners, each outer ring 9 `being provided with itsseparate feeder pipes II and I3 while the two inner ring burners III- I0are connected by pipes I4-I4 to a common feeder pipe I2. The feederpipes II, I2 and I3 extend to a gas header I5 which is connected by apipe I6 to the gas supply source. In each of the feeder pipes II, I2 andI3 is positioned a control valve I'I, I8 and I9 respectively of thesteam gas thermocontrol type and the steam sections of thesethermocontrol valves 23-24-25 are associated with stand pipes 20, 2I and22 which communicate with the liquid container 6. One of these standpipes 20 extends above its thermocontrol valve I'I and is provided witha pressure gauge G. Another stand pipe 22 extends above itsthermocontrol valve I9 and is associated with a fourth gas steamthermocontrol valve 26-2`|, the gas control portion of which 21 isassociated with a pilot supply pipe 28 which communicates with a pilotburner 29 adjacent the burners, being controlled by a manual valve 30,and at its other end with a pilostat valve 39 interposed in the gassupply pipe I6. One of the stand pipes 22 is connected with a Iby-passpipe 3| to the top header I of the condenser unit and has on its upperend an/air vacuum valve 32 for venting entrained air.

The pilostat Valve 39 may be of any Well known type in which the valvecontrolling the passage of gas through the main pipe I6 is closed whenthe passage of gas through the small pilot feed pipe 23 is stopped. Thesteam gas valves I`I--23, I8-24, I9--25 and 26--21 are all of the wellknown type in which variations in temperature beyond predeterminedpoints will operate to close the gas valve.

The steam gas valve 26-21 which controls the flow of gas through thepilot feed pipe 28 is preferably set for the highest working temperaturerange, for instance, 230-240 while the steam gas valve II-23, I8--24 andI9-25 which control the respective burner feed pipes are set for varyingtemperature ranges below that of the :pilot control valve, such asranges of 215220 for one; 220-225 for another, and 225-230 for thethird.

A desirable liquid for use in the liquid reservoir has been found to bedistilled water and an antifreeze such as Prestona In operation, andstarting with the device cold, all of the steam gas thermocontrol valveswill be open. Upon lighting the pilot burner 29 through operation of themanual valve 39, the pilostat valve 39 will be open thus permitting aflow of gas through pipe Iii, header I5 and feeder pipes II, I2 and I3to all of the burner units.

After the liquid in container 8 has vaporized and the ratio of heatinput and heat output of condenser changes by reason of the raising ofthe room temperature so that the heat input exceeds the heat output, therise in temperature of the steam, vapor or hot water in the stand pipes20, 2| and .22 will cause the operation of the steam gas thermocontrolvalves I1, I8 and I9 in the consecutive order indicated closing therespective gas feed pipes Il, I2 and I3 in the same order so that as theheat input rises, the number of burners in operation will successivelybe reduced so as to maintain a relatively constant ratio between theheat input supplied to the condenser, heat exchange unit, and the amountof heat output taken therefrom by the air being forced through the same.

Where, by reason of special emergency circumstances, this heat ratiorises excessively to the range controlled by the steam gas thermocontrolvalves 26-21, these valves will operate thus closing off the flow of gasthrough the pilot feeder pipe 28 and thereby operating the pilostatvalve 39 to shut off completely the supply of gas from the entiredevice.

By reason of the by-pass 3i communicating with the top header I with oneof the stand pipes 22, it has been found that the flow of condensatethrough the condensing tubes 3 is greatly facilitated and made moreuniform and the formation of air pockets and the like substantiallyeliminated.

It will be understood, of course, that the burners, stand pipes andvalves will be preferably enclosed in a suitable casing, which, however,is not essential to the operation of the device and, therefore, notillustrated herein.

It will further be understood that any number of burner units with theircorresponding feed pipes and control valves can be utilized and thatvarious modifications of structure will permit the utilization of theinvention in a great variety of forms.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a gas heater the combination of a plurality of gas burners, a gassupply pipe, a gas header and a plurality of gas feed pipes, oneconnecting each gas burner to the gas header, with a thermocontrol valvein each of the gas feed pipes, said thermocontrol valves set to operateover different heat ranges and positioned to be responsive to the heatoutput ofithe burners, a pilostat valve in the gas supply pipe, a pilotburner, a pilot supply pipe connecting the pilostat valve and the pilotburner, and a thermocontrol valve responsive to the heat output of theburner in the pilot supply pipe set to operate over a temperature rangehigher than the thermocontrol valves in the burner feed pipes.

2. A gas heated steam or vapor heating condenser unit comprising headersconnected by condensing tubes with means for forcing air between saidtubes, a liquid container positioned beneath the bottom header andcommunicating therewith, a plurality of gas burners positioned below andin heat exchange relation to the liquid container, a gas supply pipe, agas header, a plurality of feed pipes each connecting the gu header witha burner, a thermocontrol valve for each of said feed pipes. a pluralityof stand pipes each communicating with the liquid container and with athermocontrol valve controlling one of the gas feed pipes, a pilotburner, a pilostat valve in the gas supply pipe, a pilot feed pipeconnecting the pilostat valve and pilot burner, and a thermocontrolvalve in one of said stand pipes and pilot feed pipe controlling saidpilot feed pipe.

3. A gas heated steam or vapor heating condenser unit comprising headersconnected by condensing tubes with means for forcing air between saidtubes, a liquid container positioned beneath the bottom header andcommunicating therewith, a plurality of gas burners positioned below andin heat exchange relation to the liquid container, a. gas supply pipe, agu header, a plurality of feed pipes each connecting the gas header witha burner, a thermocontrol valve for each of said feed pipes, a pluralityof stand pipes each communicating with the liquid container and with athermocontrol valve controlling one of the gas feed pipes, a pipeconnecting one of said stand pipes with the top header and an air-vacuumvalve connecting said last mentioned stand pipe to the atmosphere.

4. A gas heated steam or vapor heating condenser unit comprising headersconnected by condensing tubes with means for forcing air between saidtubes, a liquid container positioned beneath the bottom header andcommunicating therewith, a plurality of gas burners positioned below andin heat exchange relation to the liquid container, a gas supply pipe, agas header, a plurality of feed pipes each connecting the gas headerwith a burner, a thermocontrol valve for each of said feed pipes, aplurality of stand pipes each communicating with the liquid containerand with a thermocontrol valve controlling one of the gas feed pipes,said thermocontrol valves controlling the gas feed pipes being set tocover different temperature ranges, a pilot burner, a pilostat valve inthe gas supply line, a pilot feed pipe connecting the pilostat valve andpilot burner, a thermocontrol valve in one ofthe stand pipes and pilotfeed pipe controlling the pilot feed pipe, a pipe connecting said standpipe with the top header of the condenser and an air-vacuum valve onsaid stand pipe communicating to atmosphere.

WILLIAM J. PAYNE.

